Highly accurate analyses are required in the analytical laboratory for a great many purposes. The field of analysis of the electric parameters of chemical reactions is but one of a large number of studies. Many widely accepted, if not standard techniques have been developed. Frequently these techniques fail in one or more ways. For example in the use of the electrochemical cell, three significant factors presently limit the sensitivity of electrochemical apparatus for analytical determination:
1. Interfering currents arise from the charging of the "double layer capacitance" of the electrodes;
2. Random noise appears at the output of the current monitor resulting from stochastic phenomena in the potentiostat-cell system; and
3. Background faradaic currents arise.
A number of different approaches have been taken for enhancing the sensitivity of apparatus for trace analysis. Primarily these efforts have been made with respect to the first factor above.